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Last year, lawmakers banned the use and possession of powdered alcohol in Maine, fearing it would be misused, particularly among teenagers. (Gov. Paul LePage later vetoed the measure, arguing that the state already had the authority to bar its sale). Regardless, the stuff is still illegal here — and in at least 27 other states. Perhaps […]

As part of Michael Shepherd’s story on ranked-choice voting we surveyed our readers to learn how they would have ranked the candidates for governor in both the 2010 and 2014 elections. Then we analyzed the responses to make our best guess at how these races would have looked if they were run under the ranked-choice […]

Not every employer can just demand that workers take a drug test. And those that can need to have a state-approved plan, outlining exactly when and how drug tests can be done. If recreational marijuana becomes legal in Maine, it won’t change any of that. Employers could decide that any positive test for marijuana is grounds […]

Hospitals face perhaps no bigger challenge today than the proliferation of dangerous infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Their weapons of choice in the battle against so-called “superbugs” span from the low-tech (thorough hand-washing) to the high-tech (paint and fabrics infused with antimicrobial chemicals). Now comes a new defense against those nasty germs, which are responsible for an uncounted […]

The campaigns to legalize marijuana and fund education spending with a new tax on the state’s highest earners came close to doubling their already substantial campaign coffers in September. Campaign disclosures filed Wednesday night show that groups supporting both ballot questions in September raised about 40 percent of what they’d raised prior to that month, both from two large donors. […]

This year’s ballot questions in Maine are a primary attraction for political fundraising, with high-stakes fights on five different policy questions, including marijuana legalization and expanded background checks on gun sales. On Wednesday, groups spending to support or oppose those questions filed detailed financial disclosures through September, revealing where they got their money, though much of it remains hard […]

Mainers continued to pay less for gasoline and other energy last year as spending on health care continued to climb, according to the latest federal figures. The sudden drop in gasoline and energy spending by Maine households follows the global drop in oil prices and is in line with the rest of the country, where spending in that category dropped by about 24 […]

With only six weeks left before voters hit the polls and pick the next president, patterns in campaign donations are making clearer the landscape of big support on each side of the aisle from Maine donors. What’s clear from overall donations is that most itemized donations to the presidential race went to Democrats. (Campaigns are required to list names and ZIP codes […]

Social and cultural changes are making an impact on new business starts in Maine, with female- and minority-owned businesses showing up in greater numbers. But while minority business ownership is on par with Maine’s relatively small non-white population, the share of female business owners remains about half of the state’s 51.1 percent female population. The figures come from a new U.S. Census Bureau […]

Companies selling electricity supply directly to homeowners face a widely varying set of rules in each state. But none have shown quite the appetite for restrictive new rules as New York, where the governor is trying to outlaw them, and Connecticut, which has nearly re-regulated them. And what’s going on in each may hold lessons […]

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Darren Fishell

Darren is a Portland-based reporter for the Bangor Daily News writing about the Maine economy and business. He's interested in putting economic data in context and finding the stories behind the numbers.